As part of our continuing international collaboration efforts, BDMLR were recently invited to run a cetacean strandings response training course at Hundested, near Copenhagen, Denmark. Two of our instructors, Dan and Em, travelled over for the weekend to support Flemming Larsen from the cetacean welfare group Dansk Redningstream for Havpattedyr, who had gathered a group of 30 veterinary students, mostly from Copenhagen University, as well as cetacean expert Birgith Sloth.
Together they spent the first part of the course undertaking lectures covering cetacean biology, species identification, health assessment, first aid, decision making, rescue techniques, incident management and health and safety. This was then followed by practical exercises with our inflatable water-filled whale and dolphin models where they could put their new-found knowledge to the test and have the opportunity to undertake refloatations with them using specialist rescue equipment and techniques.
As part of this collaboration, Dansk Redningstream for Havpattedyr have also purchased their own whale rescue pontoons and animal models from BDMLR for continuing the development of a response team in the country. They will be discussing with Government representatives the regulations around this and how it could be implemented within their framework too.
This collaboration originally started in 2019 following an incident involving a sei whale apparently lost in a fjord for nearly two weeks, which triggered a movement appealing for a response network and improved policy in Denmark. It has been a long road to get here, but we are pleased to have been able to fulfil this appeal to begin training in the country and look forward to continuing to support them in the future.
